1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus for a photosensitive material processor and a cutting method which make it possible to control the amount of a photosensitive material to be cut in correspondence with the state of the photosensitive material. The present invention applies to a photographic processor, such as a photographic printer or a printer processor in which a printer section and a processor section are integrated.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printer (printer section) for printing images from a negative film onto a photographic printing paper which is a photosensitive material, a paper magazine, in which a printing paper taken up in advance in roll form, is loaded in the printer. The printing paper is then fed out from inside the paper magazine, and is transported to a printing position to print images. Subsequently, the printing paper is transported to a developing apparatus (processor section) located downstream of the printer in a transport passage, to be subjected to development processing.
With conventional printers, the printing paper is cut for each image after the development of the printing paper. In such a system, however, when the paper magazine is replaced, there is a drawback in that the amount of printing paper rewound into the paper magazine as well as the amount thereof fed out from inside the paper magazine increase. Accordingly, a system has been devised in which a cutter section is disposed in the vicinity of the paper magazine. In the noted system, the printing paper is advanced to a printing position after the printing paper has been cut in advance in the cutter section to the size of each image that is to be printed.
Meanwhile, since various sizes are present for the images to be printed, there is a need to replace the paper magazine accommodating the printing paper and load another paper magazine in the printer, to change the type of printing paper in correspondence with the size of the image to be printed. In addition, the length of the printing paper in the paper magazine is limited. Therefore, when the printing paper in the paper magazine has been used up, there is a need to remove the paper magazine temporarily from the printer and accommodate a new printing paper in the paper magazine, and then to load the paper magazine into the printer.
At the time of such replacement of the paper magazine in the above-described manner, it is necessary to position a leading end portion of the printing paper in the printer before print processing. It is also necessary to remove a fogged portion of the printing paper which projects from the paper magazine and therefore has been exposed. For this reason, in the above printer it is conceivable to freely transport in advance a fixed amount of the printing paper from the paper magazine inside the printer, and to cut the leading end portion in the cutter section before starting the print processing of images.
However, the position of the leading end portion of the printing paper with respect to the paper magazine generally differs substantially in cases where the type of printing paper is changed and in cases where the printing paper is replaced by one which is newly accommodated in the paper magazine. Also, there is a difference in the presence or absence of a fogged portion as a consequence of the above-described difference. Therefore, there has been a drawback in that the printing paper is wasted if the printing paper is cut uniformly after being freely transported by a fixed amount.